For what it's worth, Idaho and Oregon have almost identical rates of rape; Washington is higher than either of them, by the way. Colorado and New Mexico, however, have some of the highest rates in the country. So if anything, be more concerned about those states.

And then there's South Dakota and Alaska, who have nearly double the number of rapes per capita of almost any other state. If I was a woman I would maybe just avoid those states...

Meeting someone who has a gun strapped visibly to their person, on the trail or otherwise, generally makes me feel uncomfortable. Perhaps that's a personal issue, but starting the conversation, non-verbally with, "hey, here's my gun" is more off putting than a smile or head nod. So think about how the comfort you may or may not gain carrying a gun could possibly set the stage negatively for any otherwise pleasant encounters you may have had on your trip.

On the other hand, if you're carrying a gun, but it's packed away in your backpack or glove compartment, with the safety off, and maybe not even loaded...well what's the point in that? A bear or cougar won't give you the opportunity to dig it out of your pack amidst your other supplies, nor would a would-be human attacker.

If safety is truly your concern, and not forum muckraking, I would search for the most common road trip, climbing, and hiking injuries...such as sprains, blisters, dehydration, hypothermia, bug bites, getting lost, etc...and prepare more thoroughly for those issues. I have to imagine those issues are many times over more common than being assaulted....though I do realize the prospect of assault is surely scarier.

Um. The original post you are replying to is a year and a half old. The woman who posted it has not posted here for more than a year. I am pretty sure the trip she was planning to take is long finished by now.

Um. The original post you are replying to is about a year and a half old by now. The woman who posted it has not posted here for more than a year now. I am pretty sure the trip she was planning to take is long finished by now.

Um. The original post you are replying to is about a year and a half old by now. The woman who posted it has not posted here for more than a year now. I am pretty sure the trip she was planning to take is long finished by now.

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